International Academy of Design and Technology-Seattle Student Designs 107.7 The End's Beach House!

July 24, 2008

Interior design student gets a project that rocks all summer long.

Seattle, (July 24, 2008) - The International Academy of Design & Technology in Seattle (Academy - Seattle) has played a major role in the new 107.7 The End Beach House. Every summer, the popular rock music radio show 107.7 The End stakes out its operations at a beach house on Alki Avenue SW in West Seattle. The Beach House is used as a site for up-and-coming bands to showcase their talents, and their jam sessions are broadcasted live. From July 4th to mid-September, the station holds a wide range of special events at this very special and popular summer beach house that is open to the public seven days a week.

The Academy's Interior Design Student Heather Benner was assigned to completely redesign the space. She transformed a beach house that was rough around the edges to a sophisticated lounge environment—a beach house where you want to be all summer long. IKEA is a major sponsor of the Beach House, so Heather was faced with the challenge to only purchase items from this outlet. Heather said, "Buying items from IKEA worked out really great for the space."

Heather worked very closely with Tyler Hanburg, who is an account executive with the radio station. The lighting became a major aspect in creating an ambiance that conveyed a sense of summer place, parties and outdoor fun. The walls were changed to the color of sand to create a dramatic beach-like effect. Tyler wanted the green room to stay green, which is traditional for the room that is always used as a backstage for performers just prior to going on the air. In its entirety the beach house is only about 500 square feet, but the deck where the bands play is huge and sprawling.

Regarding the collaboration between the Academy's design student Heather Benner and the radio station, Tyler Hanburg said, "Heather was the biggest asset. She took the project and ran with it. In fact, her work went far beyond our expectations for the project. We are definitely happy!"

Heather Benner is a member of Academy's the Studio, which is a student-run interior design group. According to Dan Crandall, the Academy's Program Chair for Interior Design, "The client needed to have the house ready in time for 4th of July festivities, so the project had to be done during school finals. Despite these challenges, Heather Benner and her faculty mentor, Lillian Hancock, met the deadline and the client loves their newly redesigned beach house!"

Heather noted that designing the Beach House was a huge challenge, but budget was never an issue. "The best part was working with 107.7 The End. They were so willing to help and so great about providing everything that I needed to transform the Beach House. It was a truly collaborative experience that helped me to achieve my potential as a designer."

Another aspect of the design project included creating a new interactive, gaming area to help launch a new game called "Rock Band." An added challenge involved getting all of the broadcast and music equipment into relatively small space. Heather also mentioned having to work around an untouchable area called the Signature Wall which depicted photos and signatures of all the rock bands that had ever played there. The bright blue Signature Wall remains the same.

Located on Alki Avenue SW in West Seattle, the Beach House is set back from Coastal Surf Shop and is situated right next to Pioneer Coffee and Slice's Pizza. The public is encouraged to stop by and visit. Open Monday through Saturday from 2pm to 10pm and Sunday from 12noon to 6pm. Every Friday features a band line-up and a barbecue. Most events are open to the public of all ages and are free of charge. For a complete schedule of performances, events, and directions, please see http://1077theend.com.

About Academy – Seattle
The International Academy of Design & Technology provides educational programs that are designed to prepare students for professional opportunities and career success in select design and technology fields. At the Academy, students are part of an energetic community that shares ideas, solves problems, and finds new ways to approach career training today and in the future. While enrolled at the Academy, each student is given an opportunity to grow vocationally, intellectually and professionally.

The Seattle campus, which opened in 2004, offers a variety of Associate of Applied Science and Bachelor of Fine Arts Degrees in Fashion Design, Interior Design, Visual Communication, Graphic Design, Digital Media Production, Fashion Merchandising and Game Design & Development. Both credential levels are not available for all programs. The International Academy of Design & Technology is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools to award associate's degrees and bachelor's degrees. The Academy is a member of the Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) network of universities, colleges and schools. For more information on the Academy- Seattle, call 206.575.1865 or visit www.iadtseattle.com.

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